The Castners aren't as plentiful as the cicadas, but it might seem that way when Lakota West meets Mason in softball today.

Arlene Castner will preside proudly when the
Enquirer's
No. 1-ranked Lakota West (coached by her son Keith) meets No. 3 Mason (coached by son Brian) in a Division I regional semifinal fast-pitch game at the University of Dayton at 4:30 p.m.

Arlene's granddaughter, Cori Castner, is a senior second baseman for Lakota West. Cori, daughter of yet another Castner coach (Gary), is a niece to today's competing head coaches.

"I'm a winner either way," Arlene Castner said. "But I'm not sure where to go (today). I want to sit right in the middle of the outfield, but I don't think they'll let me."

And, what to wear?

"Mason has green colors and Lakota West is red, so if I wear both I'll go in there looking like a Christmas tree," Arlene said, laughing. "I'm not sure what I'll do."

Another Castner brother, Steve, is head softball coach at Lakota East. Two more brothers, Danny (the oldest, at 45) and Gary (Cori's father) also have been involved in coaching youths. There are two female siblings, Renee and Julie, who leave the coaching to the brothers.

Arlene, 70, resides in West Chester. Her husband, Bill, died in 1995.

"I really wish their dad was here to see all this," Arlene said. "Bill was all sports, too, all the time. He coached them all in different sports."

Keith Castner, 38, leads Lakota West (27-3). He has been the head coach for seven years, and this is West's third trip to the regional in five years.

"My brother's getting married June 19," Keith said, referring to today's opponent. "I don't want to give him an early gift."

Brian Castner, at 30 the youngest sibling, laughed when he heard that.

Mason (23-5) beat Lakota West 3-0 in a regular-season game earlier this spring. Last year, West beat Mason in the regular season, making this the rubber game for the brothers. Brian became Mason's coach last year after spending five years as a Lakota West assistant to Keith.

Once softball is over, the Castner brothers will think football.

Keith was a longtime assistant coach at Lakota West who will become an assistant for new St. Xavier coach Steve Specht this fall, while retaining his teaching job at Lakota Freshman School. Brian is an assistant football coach at Mason.

Their mother has the happy problem of trying to keep track of her seven grandchildren and 18 grandchildren. Today, she'll know where at least a few of them are.

And she'll spread her love to both teams.

"I can't show any favoritism," Arlene said. "I'll shout for both of them. I wish they both could win."